Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-12-15
AN OBSERVING MAN.
The Capture Made by a Private
Diet g ctive.

The Capture Made by a Private
Def ctive.
At three o'clock one morning twenty
years ago l was on railroad train
going from Portage, Wis, to Milwau-
kee. l had been out on some private
detective work for parties in the latter
city, and had succeeded so well that !
was both happy and sleeplcss. This
was the reason was not in a sleeping
car, fast held in the arms of slumIer,
instead of occupying seat in the COM
mon coach. with my eyes very wide
open and my wits all about me-
1may say, without egotism. that ]
am an observing man. There are 9TH
ers in plenty, but the greater half of
humanity 60 through life with their
eyes half shut My father was sheriff
for many years. and. as boy, he
taught me to observe and remember.
If l went downtown or out for walk
had to tell him when got home who
and what l had seen. On one occasion,
for failing to report loose horse had
seen in the road, l got Il sound thrash
ing. and again, for failing to report a
street fight, my liberty was taken away
for four days. l can thus truthfully
say to you that l had the habit of OBJ
servation licked into ne. while nature
had kindly furnished me with very
retentive memory. BY and by 1 began
TO study human character rs profess
sion. and liked it. l learned to read
mems characteristics by their faces,
and their thoughts by their actions,
and on two occasions this faculty of
perception prevented jail deliveries.
was wide awake. as have told You,
when the train stopped at country
station on signal. 1t barely came to "a
standstill, and only one passenger got
aboard. The car was pretty well filled.
and such of the passengers as had seats
alone were stretched out in sleep.
had sized up every one near me. and
had counted up two honest old farm
crs, drover. two millinerS a mechan-
&c and family. and house painter who
was evidently going to the city for
work. No one seemed to notice the
entrance of the new passenger. 1t was
in October, and he had on a fall over
coat He carried a heavy valise in one
hand. and he came down the aisle,
looking from right to left, until he
finally reached my seat. l moved to
the window as hint that | was ready
10 share it with him. but he hesitatcd
for long minute, and looked at ME
sharply three or four times before he
finally sat down. The sachel he placed
between his feet. He had not uttered
a word. and after sitting down he
seemed TO forget all about me.
Hello! but l have found two
legged hog l said to myself after
bit 81 offered him half nv seat of
my own free will, and he seems to be
mad because l did not surrender it all.
Old fellow. you are an H 0. G., and
no mistake. Let me look you over a
bit"
l leaned back against the window,
pretended to shut my eyes and resume
my nap. and then inventoried the fell
low. He had a hard, cruel face on him.
and felt sure he was a man with lit
tie mercy in his heart. had not been
looking at him over two minutes when
l saw that he was taking sly glances at
me, and that he was quite anxious
about the sachel. In the course of five
minutes he turned around and gave me
thorough looking over, and l read in
the gesture of his hand and the toss of
his head that he said to himself:
Bah! Why should l be afraid of
him?''
His dress was that of barkeeper-
rather fiashy. The jewelry he wore
gave him away as well. If he was not
barkeeper he was at least the owner
of saloon. and, from his build, I
judged him to be a pugilist of more or
less local fame. After one general
look at his dress. began at his collar
to make a closer inspection. His shirt
collar kept working up to annoy him,
and said to myself that the button
was gone and he had fastened it with a
pin. In his twisting around he pulled
his overcoat back. and l saw that the
top button on his undcr-coat had BEEN
pulled out by a violent jerk. leaving a
hole in the cloth. The coat was new.
and it would take a hearty wrench to
pull the button out that way. ! fol-